


Family Dinner

by sweeterthankarma



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), DC Extended Universe
Genre: Established Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance, F/F, Gen, Humor, Post-Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27850386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweeterthankarma/pseuds/sweeterthankarma
Summary: Anonymous requested, “Montoya finding out Helena is only 24 (I heard that was her canon age in the new film) and teasing about her age.”
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli & Cassandra Cain & Dinah Lance & Renee Montoya & Harleen Quinzel, Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 8
Kudos: 88





	Family Dinner

“Twenty four?! You’re  _ only  _ twenty four?!” 

Montoya’s voice hangs in the air, no one deciding to speak after her. Helena lowers her head to the coffee table slowly, only to let her forehead fall to the worn wood edge with a heavy thud once it’s a few inches away from landing gracefully. Dinah’s hand rushes to touch her lower back, gentle and cautio us. The movement was sharper than Helena probably intended, but you never really know with her. 

(She’s got a weird thing with pain, Dinah knows, but she won’t bring that up now.)

Dinah flashes Montoya a protective look that’s meant to showcase irritation for her pissing off Helena, but there’s a flicker of a smile on her lips, daring to tilt upwards even if only for a millisecond.

It’s not like there’s any malice or judgment in Montoya’s voice— in fact, it’s quite the opposite, actually a little bit awestruck. And it’s fine, all in good fun, but  it’s  the third time today that she’s brought Helena’s age up, and they’re all honestly growing a bit tired of it, not only Helena.

(Montoya’s like a broken record, Dinah thinks. Yes, we all know Helena’s amazing, join the club.)

Harley’s already torn up tights, black and highlighted by a subtle sheen, rip a little more when she shifts her position on the floor, moving her knees out from under her. She lunges across the armchair in between her and Montoya (the one no one ever uses for a functional seat, but instead for a spot to put laundry, groceries, and miscellaneous items) for the box of biscuits in her lap. 

“Montoya, I’m taking these,” Harley announces when the remaining rolls are already fisted in her hands. Her voice is high-pitched, excitable, her statement leaving no room for rejection. Montoya doesn’t even bother protesting anyway. For starters, the biscuits are a little stale, which is to be expected considering they were only worth a dollar and forty nine cents, and secondly—  and most importantly—  they all know by now that Harley gets what she wants in one way or another. Might as well make it the easy way. 

“Thank you!” she singsongs, flashing an overexaggerated smile filled with crumbs between her lipstick stained teeth.

“Gross,” Cass comments, like she doesn’t do the same thing all the time— hell, she probably learned it from her. Harley nudges her, kicks her with the toe of her boot, and Cass sticks her tongue out at her, muttering a curse when the push makes her spill a couple droplets of soda out from her lid and down the side of the white and red branded styrofoam cup.

“Twenty four,” Montoya marvels under her breath, earning a groan from Helena that almost makes Dinah think she’s going to get up and kick Montoya’s ass. Almost. 

(Helena stirs under her touch, and okay, maybe  _ definitely, _ actually.)

She surprises them all when she says instead, almost sweetly, “yes, we all know I’m a baby, now can we drop it please?” 

Silence fills the room again, aside from the gentle sounds of Bruce eating his own dinner of KFC and kibble and Cass’s casual slurping. Helena’s not usually one to use “ _ please”— _ _ _ at least not when she isn’t talking to Dinah one-on-one, or doing other things with Dinah one-on-one— but there’s also something else in her words, in her tone. Acknowledgement. Self-awareness. Maybe even just the slightest bit of humor.  __

Cass notices it first and immediately turns to Harley to gauge her reaction. They’re nearly tied at the hip now, as Cass is slowly and surely growing into a mini version of Harley who’s probably going to out-sass her in a few years time. Harley’s a little too busy digging around in her mac and cheese to even realize that a conversation is happening around her, but once Dinah mumbles something barely audible about Helena being good, she jumps in.

“Yeah, you’re like, a killing machine!” she exclaims. “Your crossbow is  _ everything!  _ And it’s so crazy that you’re pretty much better than all of us combined when you’re only twenty four, too!”

They all groan. Helena’s face sinks back down to the glass of the table, her eyes level with her abandoned mashed potatoes, and Dinah’s hand returns to her thigh, rubbing soft circles. Cass just keeps sucking the life out of her drink. 

“Hey, at least it wasn’t me this time,” Montoya quips, and steals her biscuits back from Harley before flashing Helena a smile.

Albeit reluctantly, Helena returns it, and Dinah just thinks,  _ thank god.  _ Safe for another night. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, please let me know! Comments and kudos make my day. 
> 
> Come say hi at my Tumblr blog [here](https://sweeterthankarma.tumblr.com/) or at my new Twitter account [here!](https://twitter.com/sweeterthnkarma)


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